योगयुक्ता महात्मानः परमार्थपरायणाः । यं न पश्यंति मुग्धास्तु सर्वज्ञं सर्वदर्शकम्
Great souls endowed with yoga, devoted to the highest truth, see him who is all-knowing and all-seeing, but the deluded do not.
हस्तपादविहीनश्च सर्वत्र परिगच्छति । सर्वं गृह्णाति त्रैलोक्यं स्थावरं जंगमं पुनः
Though without hands and feet, he moves everywhere; he grasps all the three worlds, both the unmoving and the moving.
नासामुखविहीनस्तु घ्राति भक्षति भूपते । अकर्णः शृणुते सर्वं सर्वसाक्षी जगत्पतिः
Though without nose and mouth, O king, he smells and eats; though earless, he hears everything—the Lord of the world, the witness of all.
अरूपो रूपसंबद्धः पंचवर्गवशं गतः । सर्वलोकस्य यः प्राणः पूज्यते सचराचरैः
Though formless, he is connected with forms, subject to the fivefold categories; he, who is the life of all worlds, is worshipped by all beings, moving and unmoving.
अजिह्वो वदते सर्वं वेदशास्त्रानुगं तथा । अत्वचः स्पर्शमेवापि सर्वेषामेव विंदति
Though tongueless, he speaks all in accordance with the Vedas and scriptures; though skinless, he perceives the touch of all things.
सदानंदो विविक्ताक्ष एकरूपो निराश्रयः । निर्गुणो निर्ममो व्यापी सगुणो निर्मलोऽनघः
He is ever-blissful, with senses withdrawn, of one form, without dependence; without qualities, without possessiveness, all-pervading, with qualities, pure, and sinless.
अवश्यः सर्ववश्यात्मा सर्वदः सर्ववित्तमः । तस्य माता न चैवास्ति स वै सर्वमयो विभुः
Unconstrained, yet the controller of all, the giver of all, the knower of all; he has no mother, for he is the all-pervading Lord.
एवं सर्वमयं ध्यानं यश्च पश्यत्यनन्यधीः । स याति परमं स्थानममूर्त्तममृतोपमम्
Whoever, with undistracted mind, beholds this all-pervading meditation, attains the supreme, formless, deathless state.
द्वितीयं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छृणुष्व महामते । मूर्त्ताकारं तु साकारं निराकारं निरामयम्
Now I shall declare the second; listen to it, O wise one: it is with form, with shape, yet formless and free from affliction.
ब्रह्मांडं सर्वमतुलं वासितं यस्य वासनात् । स तस्माद्वासुदेवस्तु प्रोच्यते नृपनंदन
The entire, incomparable cosmic egg is pervaded by his fragrance; therefore, O delight of kings, he is called Vāsudeva.
वर्षमाणस्य मेघस्य यद्भासा तस्य तद्भवेत् । सूर्यतेजःप्रतीकाशं चतुर्बाहुं सुरेश्वरम्
As the radiance of a raining cloud belongs to it, so is his; resembling the brilliance of the sun, four-armed, the Lord of the gods.
दक्षिणे शोभते शंखो हेमरत्नविभूषितः । कौमोदकी गदा तस्य महासुरविनाशिनी
On his right shines a conch, adorned with gold and jewels; the Kaumodakī mace, destroyer of great demons, is his.
वामे च शोभते वीर हस्ते तस्य महात्मनः । महापद्मं सुगंधाढ्यं तस्य दक्षिणहस्तगम्
On his left shines, in the hand of that great-souled one, a great lotus, rich with fragrance; in his right hand, a lotus as well.
शोभमानं सदैवास्ते सायुधं कमलश्रियम् । कंबुग्रीवं सुवृत्तास्यं पद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणम्
Ever resplendent, he stands armed, with the beauty of a lotus; with a conch-shaped neck, well-formed face, and eyes like lotus petals.
राजमानं हृषीकेशं दशनैः कुंदसंनिभैः । गुडाकेशस्य यस्यास्ते अधरो विद्रुमाकृतिः
Majestic Hṛṣīkeśa, with teeth like jasmine buds; Guḍākeśa, whose lower lip is like coral.
शोभते पुंडरीकाक्षः किरीटेनापि भास्वता । विशालेनापि रूपेण केशवस्तु सुवक्षसा
Puṇḍarīkākṣa shines with a radiant crown; Keśava, broad in form and with a beautiful chest, is resplendent.
कौस्तुभेनांकितेनैव राजमानो जनार्दनः । सूर्यतेजःप्रतीकाश कुंडलाभ्यां प्रभाति च
Janārdana, marked by the Kaustubha gem, is majestic; shining like the sun's brilliance, he glows with earrings.
हरिः केयूरकंकणैर्हारैर्मौक्तिकैर्ऋक्षसन्निभैः
Hari is adorned with armlets, bracelets, necklaces, and pearl garlands resembling constellations.
वपुषा भ्राजमानस्तु विजयो जयतां वरः । भ्राजतेसोऽपि गोविंदो हेमवर्णेन वाससा
His form is radiant; Vijaya, best among the victorious, shines. Govinda too shines, clad in garments of golden hue.
मुद्रिकाभिस्तु युक्ताभिरंगुलीषु विराजते । सर्वायुधैः सुसंपूर्णैर्द्दिव्यैराभरणैर्हरिः
He is adorned with rings on his fingers; Hari is splendid with all weapons and divine ornaments, fully arrayed.
वैनतेयसमारूढो लोककर्त्ता जगत्पतिः । एवं यो ध्यायते नित्यमनन्यमनसा नरः
Mounted upon Garuḍa, the creator of the worlds, the lord of the universe; whoever meditates thus always, with undivided mind—
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं ध्यानभेदं जगत्पतेः
Is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Viṣṇu. Thus all has been declared to you, the distinctions of meditation on the Lord of the world.
अंबरीष उवाच- साधुसाधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ लोकानुग्रहकारक । विष्णोर्ध्यानं त्वया प्रोक्तं सगुणं निर्गुणं च यत्
Ambarisha said: O best of sages, truly noble and beneficent to the world, you have described the meditation on Vishnu, both with attributes and without.
अधुना लक्षणं ब्रूहि भक्तेः साधु कृपाकर । यादृशी क्रियते येन यथा यत्र यदा तथा
Now, O compassionate one, please tell me the characteristics of devotion: of what kind it is, by whom, how, where, and when it is performed.
सूत उवाच- इत्युक्तमाकर्ण्य नृपोत्तमस्य मुनिः प्रहृष्टो निजगाद भूपम् । शृणुष्व राजन्निखिलाघहारिणीं भक्तिं हरेस्ते प्रवदामि सम्यक्
Suta said: Hearing these words of the noble king, the sage, delighted, spoke to the king: Listen, O king, as I properly describe the devotion to Hari that destroys all sins.
अथ भक्तिं प्रवक्ष्यामि विविधां पापनाशिनीम् । विविधा भक्तिरुद्दिष्टा मनोवाक्कायसंभवा
Now I shall explain the various forms of devotion that destroy sin; devotion is said to be of many kinds, arising from mind, speech, and body.
लौकिकी वैदिकी चापि भवेदाध्यात्मिकी तथा । ध्यानधारणया बुद्ध्या वेदानां स्मरणं हि यत्
It may be worldly, Vedic, or spiritual; whatever remembrance of the Vedas is done through meditation, concentration, and intellect—
विष्णुप्रीतिकरी चैषा मानसी भक्तिरुच्यते । मंत्रवेदसमुच्चारैरविश्रांतविचिंतनैः
That which brings delight to Vishnu is called mental devotion, through constant contemplation and recitation of mantras and Vedic hymns.
जाप्यैश्चारण्यकैश्चैव वाचिकी भक्तिरुच्यते । व्रतोपवासनियमैः पञ्चेंद्रियजयेन च
Through recitation, forest hymns, and unceasing utterances, it is called verbal devotion; through vows, fasting, discipline, and control of the five senses—
कायिकी सैव निर्दिष्टा भक्तिः सर्वार्थसाधिनी । भूषणैर्हेमरत्नांकैश्चित्राभिर्वाग्भिरेव च
That is called bodily devotion, which accomplishes all aims; with ornaments of gold and gems, with splendid words—